Wire-stretcher



Aug.2o,1935'. H, H WWZEL 2,012,212

WIRE STRETCHER Filed Dec. 4, 1954 INV-ENTOR ATTOR N EY Patented Aug. 20, 1935v UNITED VI'AFES PATENT QFFICE 2,012,212 n k wma-STRETCHEn Henrykn. Witzel, Mitchell, s. Dak. Application December 4, 1934, serial1-'I.'755,98o v 1 c1aim. (c1. 254-72) This invention has for its object the provision of a light, strong and easily handled tool which may be operated readily to stretch a fence wire and'draw it to a post, or to draw :two wire ends together and hold them `while being spliced. f A

device which will accomplish the stated object is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing and the invention consists in certain novel features which will be hereinafter rst fully'desc'ribed and then more particularly defined in the appended claims. f f Y In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the entire stretcher. Y n

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View of the working elements of the stretcher on a somewhat larger scale. Figurer 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. A Figure 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of FigkIn carrying out the present invention, .there is provided a fulcrum bar I having one end formed Y into a hook 2 adapted to engage around a fence 'ward the hooked end of the bar and the teeth post, indicated at 3. The bill of the hook is provided with a shoulder 4:0n its sideand an eccentric grippinglever or cam 5 isv pivoted ad,-

vjacent the shoulderto clamp a wire,V 6, ythereagainst. This engagement of a wireby the tool will resist any tendency of the hooked end Ato slide down the post, and; the construction `provides a means for firmly securing one end of a wire when a wire is to be spliced. y

vThe fulcrum bar isprovided with ratchet teeth 'I along its opposite edges, the teeth pointing toon one edge being preferably staggered relative to the teeth on the other edge. A wire-carrier i s slidably mounted on the fulcrum bar and comprises a plate 8 somewhat'wider than the bar and `having a keeper or retaining plate 9 secured Ato its side at one end,`the bar passing between the plate 8 land the keeper so that saidv plate will be held to the bar and may slide along.,A

the same. Adjacent ,the opposite end of the main slide plate, a clip orv guide bracket I is secured upon the side thereof with its upperand lower ends passing across the edges of thefulcrum bar in hooked relation thereto, as clearly shown inFigure 4. A bracket II is secured' on the plate 8 between the guide Ill and Vthe adjacent end of the bar andY extends across the edge of the bar and beyond the opposite side thereof to form a stationary clamping jaw I2. erating with the jaw I2 is a clamping lever I3 which is fulcrumed on the sideof the bar and vhas a cam or eccentric end I4 presented to the p tothe bar.

jaw I2, as will be understood upon reference to Figure 4, so that a `wire end I inserted between the jaw and the lever may be firmly secured. AI stud i6 on the jaw I2 vprevents the inserted wire slipping from the jaw before it is clamped. The

operating lever. I'I has its working end portion formed into a loop I8 which passes the fulcrum bar between the same and the retainer 9 and is pivoted to the retainer and the bar. Dogs I9. are pivoted in the ends of the' loop -I 8 to engage the ratchet vteeth 1, a spring 20 attached to thek working ends of the' dogs holding them yieldably lever and awayfrom the bar, the extended ends 2| constituting handles bywhich the dogs may vbeheld out of engagement with theY ratchets when Settim,r or disassembling the device.

In use the lever is oscillated, after the wire lend I6 is secured, and the slide will be thereby causing the slide and the wire to travel along the bar with a step by step movement. Inasrnuch as the construction prevents the Working parts moving off the bar when in use, the wire will be stretched expeditiously and with certainty.

It will, of course, be understood that while I y have shown and described some parts as rigidlysecured together such parts may, wherever practicable, be vintegral. l

The'dogs are extended beyondy the y Having described my invention, what I claim his:

` A wire-stretcherl comprising a bar having toothed edgesV andhaving ay hook at one end adapted -to encircle` a fence post, a slide "plate disposed against onesideof the bar and slidable longitudinally of the bar, a keeper secured to the slide plate and disposed at the oppositeside of y'the bar, a guide secured on the plate in rspaced.

relation to the keeper and engaging over the edges of the bar, a jaw secured to the plate and projecting therefrom at the side remote from the bar, an 'operating lever encircling the bar and pivoted to the plate and the keeper, dogs pivoted to the lever and arranged to alternately en-l gage and fulcrum upon the bar as the lever is oscillated to effect movement of the slide along HENRYv H. WITZ'EL. 

